Twenty years on from his recently re-released debut album, Let Love Rule, fans at Newcastle’s 02 Academy were treated to a back-catalogue spanning two decades on Wednesday night.

Lenny, now 45, shows no signs of slowing down and still displays the passion and energy that are the hallmark of his live performances.

Sadly, drummer Cindy Blackman has stopped touring with him since the last visit to the North-East to concentrate on her own music, but eight musicians joined Lenny on stage to help recreate the unmistakably rich studio sound.

A few lesser known tracks found their way on to the set-list but the singer's presence and showmanship meant they still brought a spirited response from the Newcastle crowd.

Everyone has their wish-list and artists have the impossible task of trying to please everyone, but there were surprise omissions – most notably, Rock And Roll Is Dead.

Take away the endless jams that accompanied three or four tracks and no doubt he could have fitted them in.

It even prompted one or two leery Geordies to start heckling him with shouts of “play some rock music”.

That would be the only negative though because ultimately Lenny Kravitz is a crowd-pleaser. After twenty years of performing live he knows how to work his audience and there's one rule that all artists have learned to follow – save the best till last.

Always On The Run, American Woman and Fly Away wrapped up the main set before the band returned to the stage with Let Love Rule – a fitting finale, or so I thought.

I learnt the next morning, Kravitz returned to the stage for an unexpected second encore with his biggest hit, Are You Gonna Go My Way.

Unfortunately by that point I’d already headed for the door.

Maybe I should have listened to Lenny earlier when he said – It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over.